When it comes to Avant garde cinema, I’m usually intrigued
by movies that evoke reflection on the state of humanity (or lack thereof).
Many such films offer little narrative context, taking deep routes to ideas and
feelings instead of telling linear stories. I do enjoy a well-done “art” movie
from time to time, but I prefer art that speaks to a deeper truth about the
world I live in. Nocturnal Animals, Tom Ford’s adaptation of Austin
Wright’s acclaimed novel Tony and Susan is a movie that evokes varied
feelings about the state of humanity through art, but they aren’t good feelings.

Nocturnal Animals is a story-within-a-story. Amy
Adams plays Susan, a successful, but depressed art gallery director based in
Los Angeles. Her marriage to Hutton (Armie Hammer) is a farce, as he jets off
on “business trips” that are really trysts with a mistress as his actual
business fails. One night, a mysterious package arrives, containing a novel
manuscript, written by Susan’s ex-husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal). When Hutton
takes off for the weekend, Susan reads the novel (titled “Nocturnal Animals),
and imagines the scenes of the story. The novel is the story of a man named
Tony (played by Gyllenhaal) who takes his wife Laura (Isla Fisher) and teenage
daughter India (Ellie Bamber) on a cross country drive that goes through a
lonesome Texas highway. The family is attacked by three redneck ruffians named Ray
(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) Turk (Robert Aramayo) and Lou (Carl Glusman) who beat
Tony and kidnap the women. Tony is left in the desert and wanders back to a small
town where the local detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon) takes on the case.
The investigation leads to the grisly discovery of the women’s bodies, beaten,
raped and strangled. The investigation drags on until the culprits are captured
and Tony must identify them. His anger grows when it seems that the suspects
may get off on a technicality. Det. Andes has other ideas, and Tony must decide
whether to take the law into his own hands.

As Susan reads Edward’s novel, she reflects on their own
failed marriage, going through the dreamy romantic parts and ending with
Susan’s demand that Edward give up his dream of being a writer. After finishing
Edward’s novel, she sends him a message and they agree to meet for dinner.

Nocturnal Animals is a movie high on art and visual
expression that does not paint a good picture of the world we live in. Tom
Ford’s adaptation presents a world where high society drowns in its
condescending view of lesser beings. For instance, the opening credits are
shown over slow motion film of nude, overweight, aging women, dancing while
wearing Fourth of July hats, waving sparklers. It is a prelude to Susan’s art
gallery opening of sculptures (or maybe live models) of the same women in the
films. I’m not sure what message Ford is trying to convey, other than a condescending
and obscene commentary on kitsch.

The rest of the film doesn’t have a very high
view of anything else within American culture, leaning on stereotypical
crutches, like depicting backroads people as lawless monsters (better not leave
the coast!) and privileged artisans as self-absorbed jerks who dress funny and
pay boatloads of money for artwork like the naked obese women or a 6-foot tall
chrome sculpture of a balloon animal. It’s like one of those haute couture
fashion shows where models wear trees on their heads as the they “vogue” down
the runway. It should come as no surprise that Tom Ford’s background comes from
the fashion industry, where practical, affordable clothing is something beneath
coastal elites. Nocturnal Animals is a movie that feeds of such negative
aspects of the American existence, rather than trying to understand it.

It should be noted that Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance is
excellent, despite the dark nature of the Nocturnal Animals. He
continues to astound with his ability to convey some of the darker sides of
human emotion. Amy Adams, on the other
hand, is less impressive, sleepily conveying a spirit of elitist nihilism. It
isn’t her best work, but Nocturnal Animals isn’t the best material to
work with, either.